At least 60 newborns have died at the Malda Medical College and Hospital in West Bengal, India, with ten deaths reported on Monday alone. The state government is conducting investigations to understand why this happened.
According to reports by The Indian Express and The Times of India, at least 60 newborns have died at the West Bengal government-run Malda Medical College and Hospital between August 1st and Monday, August 30th. Ten of these deaths occurred on Monday alone. The state government has requested a report from the hospital regarding the infant deaths to understand why this happened.
Furthermore, authorities are conducting inspections at other hospitals and nursing homes in the district where many of the children were initially treated before being referred to the government facility. Of the 10 newborns who died on Monday, eight were born at other hospitals or nursing homes in the district and were brought to the government medical college in critical condition, as stated by hospital Superintendent Prosenjit Bar.
Of the 60 deaths reported till Monday, 44 babies were born elsewhere and later referred to the hospital, according to unidentified state health department officials. The hospital officials said that while some infants suffered from respiratory distress, others had jaundice or heart problems, as reported by the newspapers.
On Wednesday, state Health Minister Shardwat Mukhopadhyay acknowledged an increase in the infant mortality rate in Malda district and has asked for a detailed report to further investigate this issue.
Source:
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